Find one grievous problem & you’ll find more

A roofing company faces $70,000 in fines for one willful, one repeat and two serious violations of OSHA fall-protection regulations.

Employees of New Haven, CT-based Xtreme Restoration & Waterproofing LLC were reportedly seen working on a second-story residential roof without fall protection or with fall protection gear that wasn’t tied off to an anchorage point. OSHA issued one willful violation for lack of fall protection.

The company’s training records were checked, and were found wanting. OSHA had cited the company for lack of fall-protection training in 2011, so the agency issued a repeat citation.

At the worksite, OSHA inspectors also found in use a ladder containing damaged rungs. Ladder training was also lacking, and OSHA issued two serious citations.

Take home: Usually, a safe working environment doesn’t have just one big problem. If supervisors find one flagrant problem, they should look for more safety issues, which should not be hard to find.

Connect with Workplace Safety Blogger, Lori Sereditch

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